


Therapy of the Heart

by Vixen13



Category: Original Work
Genre: Disabled Character, Fluff, Happily Ever After, Humor, M/M, More Fluff, One Shot, Romance, SO FLUFFY, the prompt was about fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2019-02-12 02:51:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12949713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vixen13/pseuds/Vixen13
Summary: Eric fell in love with his physical therapy assistant, and he does his best to keep that under wraps. After all, Mark is perfect and beautiful and smart and perfect... Luck had never been on Eric's side when it came to romance, and he didn't expect it to start now over a Prince Charming look-a-like. Mark might disagree on that, though.





	Therapy of the Heart

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for an open call for short stories asking for white picket fence, tooth rottingly sweet, fairy tale romance submissions. The planned collection canceled before it ever got started so this ultimate fluff story has just been sitting in my files for over a year now. May as well post it somewhere. Enjoy, I guess.

“Are you ready?” Mark asked with a beautiful smile, white teeth shining.

“Yes…” Eric breathed, enraptured by Mark’s face.

Mark’s hands wrapped around Eric’s hips in a steadying grip. “Take a deep breath.”

Eric did as he was told. The heat of Mark’s hands warmed his skin and his nerves tingled in anticipation. He wanted those hands to move, to roam further along his body. His breathing quickened as he set his jaw, preparing himself for what was to come.

“You can do it, honey!” Eric’s mother encouraged from the sidelines.

With a sigh, Eric was pulled out of his fantasy land. Now was not the time to get swept away by Mark’s good looks. Now was the time to attempt to walk.

Hands held out to his sides and hovering over the rails, Eric attempted to take a step. The leg braces dug into his skin uncomfortably. He tried to make a mental note of the spots that pressed too hard since he would need to report those later so adjustments could be made.

With a slight wobble, Eric took another step and Mark backed up between the railings, helping to keep Eric upright. “Good, good!” Mark encouraged. “Don’t forget to center yourself. If you lean over too far you’ll lose your balance.”

A thing like balance was not something Eric was used to. At least, not standing. A muscle condition had left his legs nearly useless his entire life. Because of this, his life revolved around doctors, physical therapy, and experimental options to help him walk.

Currently, he was testing out a new type of leg brace that wrapped around his legs in an almost spiderweb pattern. It was 3D printed and made specifically for him, which made a huge difference in its ability to function correctly. At first, it had seemed completely useless in anything other than keeping Eric’s legs straight. That was until Mark stepped in.

Mark was a physical therapy assistant that worked on the rehabilitation floor of the medical suite Eric went to. The first day Eric had tried and failed to use the new braces, Mark had intervened. He mentioned that Eric’s legs likely didn’t have enough muscle tone to be able to hold him up, with or without the braces.

That conversation had lead to Eric being forced to admit that he had stopped most of his leg exercises because of the terrible cramps they caused. That normally would have been cause enough for Eric to be angry with Mark. Except he could never be angry with Mark. Mark was a gift to humanity.

With perfect golden tanned skin and long wavy blonde hair framing bright blue eyes, Mark was a Greek god made flesh. Even in his scrubs, one could see the finely crafted muscles that shaped him into perfection. Those muscles weren’t for show, either, as Eric knew from personal experience.

Due to Mark’s comments and Eric’s confession, Eric’s physical therapy plan was changed and Mark was put in charge of Eric’s strength training. By the fourth session, Eric had managed to fall and crack his head on some equipment on the way down. Mark had scooped Eric up in his arms without effort and carried Eric to the nurses.

Time had slowed when Eric was lifted into those strong arms. Mark had been backlit with a warm glowing light as wind blew back the golden tendrils of his hair. Angels sang and two bluebirds had flitted around them, chirping happily at the couple. Granted, the scene was probably skewed by how hard Eric had hit his head, but that didn’t make the memory any less precious.

Coming back to the present, Eric stumbled halfway down the short walkway he was traveling. Mark immediately darted forward, wrapping an arm around Eric’s waist to keep the man upright. Pressed so close, Eric was acutely aware of how he fit perfectly under Mark’s chin. Blushing furiously, Eric grabbed the railings on either side to hold himself up.

“I got it. Thanks…” Eric mumbled. His upper body strength was top notch as that was the only way he was able to take care of himself.

Mark took careful steps back, his hands going back into position on Eric’s hips. “You’re doing really well. Adjust your feet back to regain your balance and keep going.” Mark presented one of his amazing smiles and Eric thought he might swoon on the spot.

Swallowing hard, Eric focused once more on walking, this time keeping a light grip on the railing. By the time he made it to the other end, his legs held an obvious tremble. However, he’d made it without falling. His mother, Joyce, was jumping up and down, clapping her hands together rapidly and squealing her approval.

His mother’s extreme emotional reactions were the very reason Eric had moved out on his own. Ebony, his personal assistant, had one hand on Joyce’s shoulder, holding the woman back from launching across the rehab floor to tackle her son in a hug. Eric had insisted on not calling Ebony his caretaker and because she was nice, she didn’t argue.

Mark helped Eric to sit down and they started going over the spots on the brace that had rubbed too much. In the meantime, Joyce started crying into Ebony’s ample bosom. Eric covered his face to hide his embarrassment.

“I’m sorry about her.” Eric mumbled through his hands. It was mortifying for his mother to be coming to his appointments and acting this way when he was quickly gaining on turning thirty.

Mark laughed. He had a great laugh. “Don’t worry so much about it. That’s just the way parents are. They always worry, so any little thing to make their kids happy or safe is a big deal to them. Let her have her moment,” he teased.

“Do you have kids?” Eric asked casually. Of course, Eric knew the answer to that as he had desperately tried to gather as much information as possible on Mark from the other PTA’s. Nobody had seemed to catch on to his interest, thankfully. Well, nobody except Ebony.

“Nope! Been single for a while now - finishing up college and then catching all the overtime I can get to pay off the student loans. It’d be nice to adopt one day, though.”

Adopt? That thought made Eric’s chest flutter in excitement but he squashed it. Nobody had mentioned Mark’s sexual preference at all, but Eric couldn’t allow himself to hope. Even if Mark was gay, why would he go for a cripple like Eric when Mark could literally have anyone else on the planet?

“Yeah, adoption would be nice,” Eric muttered, realizing his response was delayed. Though Mark didn’t seem to notice.

“We’ll work on your muscle tone and balance next time while they fix the braces.”

“Oh, yay. My favorite,” Eric groused.

Mark chuckled. He had a nice chuckle, too. “Don’t worry. All that hard work will be worth it in the end.”

“Yeah…” Except it wouldn’t. All that hard work meant no longer coming to rehab and seeing Mark. Though Eric understood realistically that he couldn’t go to rehab forever, that didn’t stop him from pouting about it.

When the appointment was over and Eric was settled in the passenger seat of his car, Ebony gave him a _look_ from her position in the driver’s seat.

“What?” Eric asked, already defensive.

“You _could_ just tell him you like him.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he grumbled, staring out the window.

“ _Mm_ hmm,” she sassed, but she started the car and left him to his brooding.

That was impossible, though. How could anyone confess their affections to the perfect specimen that was Mark Wilson? Even if Eric wasn’t handicapped, he was entirely average looking. Average height, average brown hair, average brown eyes, and pasty skin from rarely going outside. Add that to his too small legs that liked to twist into odd positions and the bulky wheelchair he was always in and one could easily forget that Eric even existed.

Of course, once his therapy was over, that was exactly what would happen. Mark would forget about Eric completely and Eric would do his best to not compare other men to Mark. If Eric even ended up with another man. He hadn’t officially come out of the closet, though he was pretty sure his mother had figured it out. He _knew_ Ebony had, though they didn’t really talk about it.

With a sigh, Eric tried to focus his thoughts on something else, but instead kept daydreaming about the next time he would get to see Mark. Such thoughts kept him occupied for the next two days until the third day found him back on the rehab floor, trying to focus on the exercise and not Mark’s amazing face.

Since it wasn’t a walking day, Eric’s mother wasn’t there, much to his relief. Ebony had stayed out in the waiting area reading gossip magazines. This left Eric much more relaxed so that he and Mark could chat and banter like they usually did.

“Have you been doing your exercises at home?” Mark chided.

“Does anyone ever _really_ do homework?” Eric evaded.

Mark chuckled. “You can cut the repetitions in half if you really need to. Maintaining the muscle tone is important.”

“I don’t have such a great coach at home.” Eric quipped, hoping he didn’t sound too obvious.

“Oh, I think Ebony could be pretty motivational if you asked for her help.”

“If by ‘motivational’ you mean ‘drill sergeant’ then yes.”

That caused Mark to laugh, full and open and magical sounding. Eric’s new hobby had become finding ways to hear that laugh. He should try and subtly record it one day. Of course, that sounded way too stalkerish. This crush was going to drive him crazy.

His thoughts were interrupted by a muscle in his thigh drawing tight. With a hiss of pain, Eric clutched the top of his thigh and gritted out, “This is also a deterrent.”

“Charley horse?”

“Yeah,” Eric croaked.

Mark removed the tension band from Eric’s foot. Thankfully Eric was already sitting down with his legs hanging over the side of the cushioned table. Gently, Mark moved Eric’s hands and pressed a thumb into the bulk of the quivering muscle.

“Breathe. It’ll release in a minute.” Mark’s voice soothed.

After a few moments it finally did, leaving behind a sore and throbbing pain. Eric sighed in relief, his shoulders dropping with sudden exhaustion. Mark began to slowly knead the muscle, his thumbs and the heels of his hands steadily traveling in languid patterns across Eric’s leg. It felt amazing.

“You seem practiced at this,” Eric commented.

“I almost went into massage therapy before I settled on being a PTA.” Mark grinned. “Is it helping?”

“A lot.” In fact, it was helping _too_ much. Between Mark’s enchanting smile and his large hands pressing warmth into Eric’s touch starved leg, Eric was starting to get aroused.

 _Stand down! Stand down! Do not arm missile!_ Eric silently begged his crotch. He shifted, trying to subtly rearrange the fabric of his shorts. Attempting to casually place one arm across his lap, he racked his brain for a new topic of conversation to distract himself.

“So how’s the greenhouse coming along?” Eric made a valiant attempt to control his voice and stay calm.

“Oh! It’s doing really well! I managed to find a way to keep the chipmunks from getting in and making a mess of things. Now my sprouts can grow in peace!” Mark launched into the details of how he had set things up to protect his baby garden. The enthusiasm he had about his projects was endearing to Eric who could happily listen to the man ramble about them all day long.

“Have you thought more about building one yourself?” Mark asked excitedly. “I could give you the layout for it. I saved all the measurements.”

“Ah, well…” Eric rubbed the back of his neck. “Building things was never something I was good at. Takes so much effort when you can’t easily stand or move around.”

“I’ve seen you stubbornly make your way around this place on your own since you hate asking for help.” Mark winked. “I think you’re selling yourself short on what you’re capable of.”

Inexplicably, Eric found himself blushing. “That’s the opposite of what I’m usually told - that I’ll hurt myself if I try to push beyond what I’m capable of.”

“That’s true, I just think you’re capable of a lot more than people think. Or that _you_ may think.” Mark smiled to soften his words.

Eric fidgeted under Mark’s gaze. He didn’t quite know how to respond to that or what to think about the statement. He had spent most of his life fighting with those around him to convince them he was able to do things on his own - that his handicap didn’t mean he was helpless. Yet here Mark was telling Eric what he’d always secretly wanted to hear.

Saving Eric from the need to respond, Mark asked, “You ready to finish your reps?”

“If I have to.”

Mark chuckled and attached the tension band back onto Eric’s foot. “Just go at your own pace. Let me know if it starts to cramp again.”

Spending those weeks with Mark was like a dream come true. Sometimes Eric felt that they came very close to flirting, but wouldn’t allow himself to entertain the notion. Instead, he focused on the fact that they maybe- just might- could possibly- become friends.

Wasn’t that just wishful thinking as well, though? It was Mark’s job to build a comfortable and trusting atmosphere with his patients. There was no reason for Mark to treat Eric any differently. As amiable as Mark was, he probably had all the clients thinking they were friends with him. In fact, there were other people that likely got along far better with Mark than Eric did with his awkward pauses and fumbling banter.

Eric groaned, dropping his head onto the top of his desk with a soft thump. “I’m just a blip in the radar. He’s never going to give me the time of day.”

“Selling yourself short again?” Ebony was cleaning up around the office, pretending that she wasn’t watching over Eric to make sure he actually finished up his accounting work for the day. He didn’t have the energy to be miffed at her about it.

“Well I can’t quit now. I’ve gotten so good at it.”

“ _Mm_ hmm,” she sassed as she carefully arranged a few books back in their proper place on the shelf. “By the way, Mark pulled me aside and asked me to encourage you to build a greenhouse. Ya know, since you been askin’ him so many questions about it.”

Eric tensed and sat up, his hands erratically shuffling papers around to make it look like he was working. Unfortunately, Ebony didn’t drop the subject.

“Why haven’t you told him about it yet? You sure took enough pictures of it.”

“I’ll jinx it. Gotta wait for the sprouts to grow,” Eric mumbled.

“Jinx it? Is the whole building gonna collapse if one of the plants die?”

Eric sighed. “I should finish up my work.”

Ebony turned around and propped her hands on her hips, giving him _the look_. “So you got the hard part done with building it, but if the plants don’t work out you’ll give up.”

“I’m not going to be in therapy forever. If something goes wrong, I won’t have anyone to ask good advice from.”

“Other than the internet?” Ebony quirked an eyebrow and Eric studiously ignored her. “You could just ask for his number.”

Eric blushed a bright red. “I can’t do that!”

“Only because you’ve got ulterior motives.”

“Can we not do this?”

“You can come out of the closet at any time, hun. I’ve got a cake and party hats ready,” she said flippantly before turning back to her work.

Usually, that was where the conversation ended, but Eric was tired of repeating it over and over again. After a long moment’s pause, he admitted quietly, “I can’t.”

“And why’s that?”

“It’s too much to ask my family to deal with me being handicapped, gay, and stubborn.”

“Pretty sure the stubborn thing is the only part people got an issue with. You’re not a burden, Eric. Nobody sees you that way but yourself. And everybody’s gonna love you just the same no matter who _you_ love.”

Except wouldn’t he be a burden in a relationship? It was the main reason why he didn’t even try to date. It was just too much to ask of a person when there was little about Eric to make up for all the negatives.

“I should finish up my work.”

“Well, that’s one thing I do agree on,” she said before picking up the trash can and walking out.

Maybe he _should_ tell Mark about the greenhouse. Mark would get all excited and probably offer his phone number himself in order to be there if any questions arose. Eric happily dreamed about the idea of texting Mark and possibly becoming friends. But Eric knew, just knew, that he’d end up asking Mark over to see it and that always lead to a train of thought that was entirely inappropriate. No, it was best if he kept his distance and admired his crush from afar.

That was easier said than done as the days were leading up to the end of Eric’s physical therapy allotments far faster than it seemed they should. During that time, Mark seemed to get under Eric’s skin more and more. They sometimes talked so much they went well into Mark’s next appointment time, and the conversations covered a variety of subjects. At this point, Eric knew more about Mark than he did about Ebony.

Such things didn’t help Eric’s crush issue at all. Never in his life had he been so smitten. Maybe he should confess... on the last day of therapy. Capitalize on that tiny percentage of a chance that Mark would return Eric’s feelings. As the final day grew closer, Eric’s resolve grew. Mark was so nice, the worst that could happen was a polite let down. It would be fine.

The last day of therapy was upon Eric in an instant and he did not at all feel prepared to confess. So instead, he focused on walking. The goal now was to use a single cane for support and to walk on his own with the braces. Everybody was there to witness it: mother, father, sister, and personal assistant.

Mark stayed by Eric’s side the entire time. Eric had to lean heavily on the cane, but for the most part he was able to set one foot in front of the other and stay balanced. He could already tell that if he continued to practice, it would get easier with time. This would give him a lot more freedom in his daily life. For the first time since this had started, he felt excited.

Looking up, Eric gave Mark a large grin and the man returned it. It felt like a spark shot between them, making the air around them buzz with excitement. It gave Eric all the energy he needed to complete the circuit around the room. By the end, he was breathing heavier from the exertion on his muscles, but that hardly mattered to him at that moment.

Mark eased Eric down onto a chair as Eric’s family hugged each other and choked back tears. Ebony did her best to keep them calm and allow Eric his moment with Mark. Which was something Eric was highly grateful for.

“So? How did it feel?” Mark was all but glowing with happiness as he helped Eric out of the braces.

“It felt like one more step towards standing in line at a coffee shop.”

Mark laughed. “I respect your aspirations in life! I can’t wait to see how far you’ll go once you conquer coffee shops.”

This was Eric’s golden opportunity. He should ask about keeping in touch. He should confess his feelings. He should talk about the greenhouse their conversations inspired. How Eric finally felt like he was capable of doing things despite his disability simply because Mark had believed Eric could. Taking a deep breath, Eric opened his mouth and-

“Thanks for everything, Mark.” His shoulders sagged. _I’m such a coward._

“I’ll miss seeing you in here! Though my boss will likely be happy that I won’t be losing track of time as often now.” Mark winked.

Obligingly, Eric chuckled but couldn’t think of anything else to say. He cut his eyes over to his family and they took that as their cue to run over. Everyone was talking at once and they were all trying to draw Mark into conversation as well. It was distracting, which was what Eric needed right now. He did his best to focus on everyone’s happiness in order to drown out his own feelings of defeat.

Much later, Ebony was driving them to a fancy restaurant by the water. Eric’s family had reserved a table there to celebrate the occasion. He didn’t feel much like celebrating right now, but he didn’t want to disappoint his family. He stared out the window in melancholy and for once, Ebony left him to his brooding.

When they arrived, all she asked was, “Chair or braces?”

“Braces. They’re the reason for the occasion.”

“I’ll help you into them. Sit tight.”

Eric dangled his legs out of the car door and helped Ebony latch the braces in place. They didn’t work well for much other than standing or walking, which meant they had to be taken off whenever he needed to sit lest his legs stay stock straight in front of him.

Ebony helped him stand and then handed him the cane. Eric slowly made his way up the wooden ramp to the door. He really needed to get a hold of his emotions before walking in there. He couldn’t afford any concerned questions as to why he was sullen instead of cheerful. However, when Ebony opened the door, all of his thoughts were obliterated.

Standing in the waiting room was Mark. He was dressed up in a collared shirt and slacks. Eric had only ever seen the man in scrubs, so to be able to view that perfectly sculpted body in perfectly fitting clothes was almost too much for his mind to handle. Mark was stunning, the creamy colors of the fabric making his skin glow under the gentle lamplight of the restaurant. It took a solid minute before Eric realized he was just standing there gaping with the door being held open for him.

“I-Uh… What are you doing here?”

“Your mother invited me out to celebrate with you. I hope that’s okay?” Mark seemed a little thrown by Eric’s reaction.

“Y-yes! It’s fine!”

In his panic he stumbled when he tried to start walking again. Mark was there in an instant, an arm wrapping around Eric’s waist. When Eric once more found his footing, Mark didn’t move away but instead walked beside Eric, the stabilizing arm remaining around Eric’s middle. The skin burned like fire wherever Mark touched and it took everything Eric had not to blush.

“Ramps are a little trickier. We never practiced those,” Mark said, easily covering up Eric’s blunder.

“Ah— Yeah. It’s fine. Real life is trickier.”

“Well, I definitely don’t want to see you getting hurt on your first outting. So I’ll stay by your side tonight, okay?” The broad smile Mark gave made Eric melt a little inside.

“Okay…” Eric breathed out dreamily. Mark smelled so damn good and being this close enveloped Eric in that scent. Who could ever say no to the man?

Everyone else was already at the table. Apparently, Mark had chosen to wait in order to escort Eric in. That made Eric’s chest feel warm and caused his heart to flutter a little. Mark was such the gentleman and it made Eric lightheaded to know it was directed at him.

Mark assisted with the removal of the braces. Seeing Mark on his knees in the ambiently lit room while wearing such perfectly fitting clothes made every hair on Eric’s body stand on end. It was just too much. His body couldn’t take gazing at such beauty.

They sat next to each other and Eric was hyper aware of every little move Mark made. Their elbows brushed exactly three times and Eric desperately hoped that the lighting hid his blush. Nobody commented on it, though Ebony shot him a few looks. That was fairly expected, though, since this would officially be the last interaction between therapist and patient.

It was an extra opportunity to make up for Eric’s earlier fear that he didn’t deserve. Seeing Mark look so good with the backdrop of the expensive decor made Eric realize all the more how out of his league Mark was. All Eric could do was enjoy the moment for what it was and hope it didn’t hurt too bad when they parted ways.

Despite his inner turmoil, the evening was great. Everyone was happy and the food was delicious. Conversation was light and entertaining. Mark adapted to Eric’s excitable family with ease. More than once Eric found himself slipping, flirting with Mark as if it were natural. The third time it happened, Ebony stepped in.

“Did Eric tell you he successfully transplanted all of his sprouts the other day?” she asked Mark sweetly.

Eric snapped his head over to give her a look of death, but she calmly avoided eye contact as she took a bite of her dessert.

“What’s this?” Joyce asked. “Sprouts?”

“I, uh… I built a greenhouse…” Eric finally admitted. The table went silent as everyone absorbed what was just confessed.

“Without my help,” Ebony piped up cheerfully. “Show ‘em the pictures.”

“By yourself?!” his mother was suddenly wailing, half excited and half worried about her son’s safety on such a project.

Eric fumbled for his phone and opened up the camera roll, worried about looking at anyone. When he clicked on the first picture, he didn’t even have time to turn the phone around before Mark snatched it away.

“This is amazing!” he breathed as he scrolled through the pictures. “Is that why you were asking so many questions?” He turned and bestowed upon Eric the most elated of smiles.

“Yeah…” was all Eric could choke out in return.

“Oh! Look at your sprouts! They’re so cute!”

That was it. Eric was blushing hard. There was no stopping it. Mark’s praise and excitement had far more of an effect than Eric ever thought it would. It was addicting. Which it definitely didn’t need to be, all considering.

“Let me see!” Eric’s sister demanded, leaning over the table to peer at the phone.

After that it was passed around for all to marvel over. Eric was drowning in praises and didn’t quite know how to handle it. Especially from Mark who was teasing Eric about keeping it secret for so long. This felt like the pinnacle of his life. Surely he could die happy right now.

When things finally calmed down, everyone realized how late it was getting. Eric’s sister had to rush off as his father ended up engrossed in a conversation with the manager. He had a bad tendency to do that since he was the talker in the family. His mother excused herself to the restroom which left the other three to their own devices.

“There’s a porch at the back overlooking the water. I hear it’s a sight to see,” Ebony mentioned casually. Eric frowned at her but she ignored him.

“Oh! We should go look. Do you want to?” Mark turned to Eric like a puppy asking for a walk.

“Sure.” Eric had no power to resist.

Once more, Mark was on his knees as he helped strap the braces on. Eric absorbed every detail of that in order to daydream of it in the future. Then he was being helped to his feet, his weight leaning against Mark’s solid chest. This night couldn’t get any better.

Mark wrapped his arm around Eric’s waist once more and walked them outside into the cool night air. There were paper lanterns strung from the roof of the porch and out over the water. The reflection of them sparkled in the ripples of the lake. Soft music played in the background accompanied by the delicate tinkling of elaborately designed wind chimes. It truly was an amazing sight.

They walked over to the wooden railing to lean against it and gaze out across the water. A slight breeze blew back the golden tendrils of Marks hair. The reflection of the lamps flickered in his eyes. Backlighting from the restaurant lit his lightly colored clothes, causing them to glow. Eric was enraptured.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Eric breathed, but he was no longer looking at the water.

Mark turned in time to see the source of Eric’s enthrallment. Embarrassed at getting caught, Eric turned away with a bright blush. He needed to think of something to say, something to distract Mark from any further realizations. But that was hard to do with that muscular arm still wrapped around him and Mark’s warmth seeping into his skin.

“Eric, I need to ask you something.”

 _Oh, no. Please, no. Anything but that._ “Maybe we should get back to the table before—”

Mark placed one finger on Eric’s chin to turn it and gain eye contact. The look on Mark’s face was… Shy? But why would Mark look like that? “Do you think we can continue to see each other?”

Eric chuckled nervously. “Of course! We can get coffee and you can tell me what I’m doing wrong with my plants.” _Remain calm! He just wants to be friends! Don’t screw this up!_

“No, I mean… On a date.”

All the air flew from Eric’s lungs and for a second his heart stopped. It took an extreme amount of effort for his voice to work again. “What?”

Pink tinted Mark’s cheeks and Eric was almost sure this was a dream. He’d fallen on the way in, cracked his head open, was in a coma, and this was all a fantasy. But what a nice fantasy it was…

“I’ve fallen pretty hard for you,” Mark admitted, his smile turning bashful. “I hope that’s okay?”

“Wha— But… I’m…”

“Amazing? Funny? Sweet? Determined? Caring? Sexy?”

Eric was quite sure his face was glowing as bright as the lamps currently. “But you’re…”

“Waiting for an answer,” Mark teased. “Please tell me I’m not just imagining this connection between us.”

Since the rest of Eric’s brain had shut down in shock, he had no filter and blurted out the first thought that came to mind. “I’m in love with you.”

The smile Mark gave to that was so dazzling, Eric was temporarily blinded. Which was probably why he missed out on seeing Mark lean forward. The next thing Eric knew, he was being kissed. It was warm, gentle, and caring. It was full of promises for more. They fit together like two puzzle pieces and Eric was so happy he felt ready to explode.

Mark’s free hand lifted up and buried itself into Eric’s hair, loving and possessive. Eric dropped his cane in order to wrap both arms around Mark’s neck, leaning into that solid form for support. Their kiss was lingering and slowly building towards passionate. A melding of lips full of finally realized desire.

A high pitched shriek of delight broke the moment. They both turned to find Eric’s mother vibrating with joy, clapping her hands together rapidly. The only thing holding her back was Ebony’s firm grip on her shoulder. That didn’t stop her from talking a mile a minute.

“Oh! This is wonderful! You are such a good man, Mark! I just know you’ll take care of my baby. And it will be _such_ a relief knowing that someone so qualified will be there if he ever needs help. Not to mention, you bring out the best in him, pushing just enough when he needs it. Oh! And you’re so handsome. You two make the most darling sight. Let me take a picture!”

“ _Mom_!” Eric could not at all believe this was happening.

Mark chuckled as he wrapped both arms around Eric’s torso and pulled them close together to make sure Eric was fully supported. At that move, Eric looked back up into Mark’s twinkling eyes. “Let her take a picture. I want to remember this moment forever.”

A true smile finally bloomed across Eric’s face as the reality of the situation sunk in. “Yeah… Me, too.”

Then they were kissing again and all Eric could do was dream about their future. Laughter in the kitchen, cozy nights curled up on the couch, proud moments of botany, and more lovingly warm kisses. It was everything Eric could ever want in life and had always been afraid to hope for.

Mark pressed their foreheads together as they smiled. That was the picture they framed for Eric’s office.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it. <3


End file.
